IPCS INCHEM Home


    FAO/PL:1967/M/11/1
    WHO/Food Add./68.30

    1967 EVALUATIONS OF SOME PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN FOOD

    THE MONOGRAPHS

    The content of this document is the result of the deliberations of the
    Joint Meeting of the FAO Working Party of Experts and the WHO Expert
    Committee on Pesticide Residues, which met in Rome, 4 - 11 December,
    1967. (FAO/WHO, 1968)

    FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
    WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
    Rome, 1968

    ALDRIN

    This pesticide was evaluated by the 1966 Joint Meeting of the FAO
    Working Party and WHO Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues (FAO/WHO,
    1967). Since the previous publication, additional information on the
    identity of aldrin and the results of additional experimental work
    have become available. This new information and work is summarized and
    discussed in the following monograph addendum.

    IDENTITY

                                                                        

    Technical aldrin contains :                            per cent
                                                                        

         HHDN                                                  90.5

         Other polychloro hexahydro 
         dimethanonaphthalenes (isodrin)                        3.5

         hexachlorotetrahydromethanoindene 
         (compound 237 or chlordane)                            0.5

         hexachlorocyclopentadiene (HCCPD)                      0.2

         hexachlorobutadiene                                    0.6

         octachlorocyclopentene                                 0.5

         hexachloroethane                             less than 0.1

         HHDN diadduct                                          0.1

         bicycloheptadiene (BCH)                      less than 0.1

         toluene                                                0.3

         other compounds*                                       3.6

                                                                        
    *    Primarily a complex mixture of compounds formed by polymerization
         of HCCPD and BCH during the aldrin reaction.

    EVALUATION FOR TOLERANCES

    USE PATTERN

    The annual aldrin and dieldrin production is believed to be in the
    order of about 10,000 tons per year, of which aldrin represents the
    major portion. Three quarters or more of the total production is used
    in agricultural fields, the principal use of both compounds being for

    soil treatment. Aldrin residues consist of aldrin and its epoxide
    dieldrin.

    RESIDUES RESULTING FROM SUPERVISED TRIALS

    Rootcrop residues will vary depending on a number of factors such as
    the crop, the soil residue, the type of soil, the interval between
    treatment or planting and harvest and other factors. In normal
    agricultural practice where rates of application usually lie between 1
    and 3 kg/ha, rootcrop residues will generally lie below 0.15 ppm,
    except for radishes, carrots and chicory roots (CCPR, 1967;
    Lichtenstein, 1965).

    Most of the residue found in lettuce is in the outer leaves. After
    removing these, the residue in the remainder of the head is below 0.1
    ppm, even in the case of the highest residues found. Under conditions
    of normal soil usage, residues in other vegetables and in fruit range
    generally below 0.1 ppm (CCPR, 1967).

    Although radio-tracer studies with very young plants have shown that
    dieldrin may be translocated (Morley, 1965), field trials under
    practical conditions have demonstrated that no detectable residues
    occur in the head in the case of wheat nor in the kernel in the case
    of maize, nor in stalks and leaves (CCPR, 1967).

    In normal practice rotation of forage crops such as alfalfa, meadow
    hay and oats or corn leads to no significant residues in the rotated
    crops. (CCPR, 1967). An apparent relationship was noticed between the
    oil content of the crop and the amount of dieldrin residue found
    therein (Bruce, 1966). For example, rotation of soybeans on corn leads
    to residues in the beans ranging below 0.1 ppm (CCPR, 1967). However,
    processing of such beans to produce edible oils, fats and meals
    removes all residues (Smith, 1967). 

    Foliage application to fruits (e.g. apples, pears, cherries) under
    practical conditions leads generally to low residues in the order of
    0.05 ppm and lower. Similar application to other crops leads in
    general to low residues, except in the straw of cereals at short
    intervals between treatment and harvest, e.g. oats (CCPR, 1967). The
    persistence of aldrin on foliage has also been studied by Harrison et
    al., 1967. They found a very quick transformation of aldrin to
    dieldrin on leaves - 50 per cent of insecticide present was in the
    form of dieldrin one week after application. After one week total
    residues of aldrin and dieldrin were only about 55 per cent and after
    7 weeks 27 per cent of that originally applied.

    Seed treatment of vegetables and grain crops - general application
    rate 0.1 - 0.15 kg/ha -leads to insignificant residues in the crop
    (0.02 ppm or less) (CCPR, 1967).

    A study of the milk production and the animal feed and water intakes
    at certain U.S.A. dairies which were treated annually with aldrin,
    showed insignificant levels of residue in the milk and in the feed and
    water intakes. (CCPR, 1967).

    RESIDUES IN FOOD MOVING IN COMMERCE

    Samples of fruit and vegetables offered for sale in the U.S.A. and
    Holland showed residues well within the tolerances, except in the case
    of carrots in Holland (CCPR, 1967).

    RESIDUES IN FOOD AT TIME OF CONSUMPTION

    Total diet studies have been made in the U.S.A., Canada and the U.K.
    The most comprehensive, those in the U.S.A., have been conducted over
    a period of several years. This work has been summarized by Duggan and
    Dawson, 1967. Daily intake of aldrin by food classes was in the range
    from 0 to 0.001 mg/day.

    FATE OF RESIDUES

    In soils

    Decker et al. (1965) measured the conversion of aldrin to dieldrin in
    soil and found that 50 per cent was converted after about 70 days;
    however, Edwards and Jeffs (1964) found that about 10 months was
    required to convert 50 per cent to dieldrin. On the other hand, Decker
    found a half life of aldrin residues (aldrin and dieldrin) below one
    month, whereas in the experiments of Edwards and Jeffs this time was
    about 19 months. Residue levels of aldrin (mostly present as dieldrin)
    do not accumulate indefinitely, as the result of yearly applications
    at a constant dosage rate, but will reach a maximum level which is, in
    practice, of the order of that resulting from a single annual dose
    (Decker, et al, 1965; Elgar, 1966). There is virtually no leaching of
    aldrin into deeper soil layers and thus no contamination of ground
    water which is eventually used as drinking or irrigation water
    (Edwards, 1966; Beynon, Edwards, Thompson, private communication;
    Beran and Guth, 1965; Lichtenstein, 1966).

    In storage and processing

    Most aldrin residues are present as dieldrin although aldrin itself is
    better eliminated in processing (Walker, 1965).


        NATIONAL TOLERANCES

                                                                    

    Country            Tolerance, ppm         Crop
                                                                    

    Canada             0.1                    Asparagus, barley,
                                              beans,
                                              cantaloupes,
                                              celery, corn, cowpeas,
                                              cranberries,
                                              eggplants, muskmelons,
                                              oats, peas,
                                              peppers, pimentos,
                                              pumpkins, rye,
                                              soybeans, strawberries,
                                              tomatoes,
                                              watermelons, wheat,
                                              winter squash.

                       0.25                   Beets, beet tops,
                                              broccoli,
                                              Brussels
                                              sprouts, cabbage,
                                              carrots,
                                              cauliflower,
                                              Chinese cabbage,
                                              collards,
                                              cucumbers,
                                              endive, horse-radish,
                                              kale, kohlrabi,
                                              lettuce, mustard
                                              greens, onions,
                                              parsnips, radishes,
                                              rutabagas,
                                              spinach,
                                              squash, Swiss chard,
                                              turnips.

    German Federal     The residue on
    Republic           edible crops
                       may not exceed
                       the lower limit
                       of detectability
                       of the
                       analytical
                       methods.

    (continued)
    Country            Tolerance, ppm         Crop
                                                                    

    Netherlands        * 0.1                  fruit and vegetables
                       aldrin and
                       dieldrin

                       *The Netherlands
                       tolerances, listed
                       in the Residue
                       decree include the
                       toxic metabolites 
                       and breakdown
                       products.
                       In the case of
                       aldrin, dieldrin is
                       considered
                       as the main
                       metabolite.
                       In consequence
                       of this a residue of
                       aldrin plus dieldrin
                       together may not
                       exceed the 0.1
                       ppm level.


    Sweden             0.1                    fresh fruits, fresh
                                              berries,
                                              vegetables
                                              including potatoes.

    Switzerland        0.1                    potatoes.

    USA
    (Tolerances are
    for total residues
    of aldrin and its
    epoxide dieldrin,
    resulting from the
    application of
    aldrin in or on raw
    agricultural
    commodities).

    (continued)
    Country            Tolerance, ppm         Crop
                                                                    

                       0.1 (aldrin            Asparagus, broccoli,
                       plus                   Brussels
                       dieldrin)              sprouts,
                                              cabbage, cantaloupes,
                                              cauliflower, celery,
                                              cherries, cranberries,
                                              cucumbers, eggplant,
                                              grapes, lettuce, mangoes,
                                              muskmelons,
                                              nectarines, peaches,
                                              peppers,
                                              pimentos,
                                              pineapple, plums (fresh
                                              prunes), potatoes,
                                              pumpkins, strawberries,
                                              summer
                                              squash, sweet
                                              potatoes, tomatoes,
                                              watermelons, winter
                                              squash.

                       zero                   Alfalfa, apples,
                                              apricots,
                                              beans, black-eyed
                                              peas, carrots, clover,
                                              collards, corn forage,
                                              corn grain, cowpeas,
                                              cowpea hay, endive
                                              (escarole), garden beets,
                                              garden beet tops,
                                              garlic, grain sorghum,
                                              grain sorghum forage,
                                              horse-radish, kale,
                                              kohlrabi,
                                              leeks, lespedeza,
                                              mustard greens, onions,
                                              parsnips, peanuts,
                                              peanut hay, pears, peas,
                                              pea
                                              hay, popcorn,
                                              quinces, radishes,
                                              rutabagas,
                                              salsify tops,
                                              salsify roots, shallots,
                                              soybeans, soybean hay,
                                              spinach, sugarbeets,
                                              sugarbeet
                                              tops, Swiss chard,
                                              turnips, turnip tops.

    (continued)
    Country            Tolerance, ppm         Crop
                                                                    

    Additional
    tolerances
    for total
    residues of
    aldrin
    and dieldrin
    are established,
    on an interim
    basis, pending
    referral to an
    advisory
    committee.

                       0.1                    straw of barley, oats,
                                              rice,
                                              rye, wheat

                       0.05                   grapefruit, lemons,
                                              limes,
                                              oranges, rice
                                              grain, tangerines.

                       0.02                   grain of barley, oats,
                                              rye,
                                              wheat.
                                                                    
    
    FAO/WHO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TOLERANCES

    The meeting makes no recommendations for tolerances of aldrin per se,
    only for aldrin plus dieldrin - see monograph on latter compound.

    FURTHER WORK

    Further work desirable

    Following limited foliar application, aldrin residues as such were
    occasionally detected in total diets (Duggan and Weatherwax, 1967).
    Therefore further total diet studies are desired.

    REFERENCES PERTINENT TO EVALUATION FOR TOLERANCES

    Beran, F. and Guth, J.A. (1965) Das Verhalten organischer insektizider
    Stoffe in verschiedensen Böden mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der
    Möglichkeit einer Grundwasserkontamination. Pflanzenschutzberichte
    (Wein), 33 : 65-117.

    Bruce, W.N., Decker, G.C., Wilson, J.G. (1966) The relationship of the
    levels of insecticide contamination of crop seeds to their fat content
    and soil concentrations of aldrin, heptachlor and their epoxides. 
    J. Econ. Ent. 59 : 179.

    CCPR. Aldrin and dieldrin. (1967) Working paper prepared by the
    Netherlands Delegation with the assistance of the United Kingdom
    Delegation for the Second Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide
    Residues, The Hague. CCPR 67/12.

    Decker, G.C., Bruce, W.N., Bigger, J.H. (1965) The accumulation and
    dissipation of residues resulting from the use of aldrin in soils. 
    J. Econ. Ent. 58 : 266 - 271.

    Duggan, R.E., Dawson, K. (1967) Pesticides: a report on residues in
    food. FDA Papers  1:5

    Duggan, R.E., Weatherwax, J.R. (1967) Dietary intake of pesticide
    chemicals. Science 157 : 1006-1010.

    Edwards, C.A. (1966) Insecticide residues in soils. Res. Rev. 13 :
    83-132.

    Edwards, C.A., Jeffs, K.A. (1964) The persistence of some insecticides
    in soil and their  effects on soil animals. Proc. XII. Int. Congr.
    Ent., London, 559-560.

    Elgar, K.R. (1966) Analysis of crops and soils for residues of the
    soil insecticides aldrin and telodrin. J. Sci. Food Agric. 17 : 541.

    FAO/WHO. (1967) Evaluation of some pesticide residues in food. FAO,
    PL:CP/15; WHO/Food Add./67.32.

    Harrison, R.B., Holmes, D.C., Roburn, J., Tatton, J.O'G. (1967) The
    fate of some organochlorine pesticides on leaves. J. Sci. Food Agric.
    18 : 10-15.

    Lichtenstein, E.P. (1965) Persistence and behaviour of insecticidal
    residues in soils and their translocation into crops. Arch. Environs.
    Health. 10 : 825-826.

    Morley, H.V., Chiba, M. (1965) Dieldrin uptake from soil by wheat
    plants. Can. J. Plant Sci. 45 : 209-210.

    Smith, et al. (1967) Report on removal of chlorinated pesticides from
    crude vegetable oils. Report submitted to U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
    and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in July 1967.

    Walker, K.C., Maitlen, J.C., Onsager, J.A., Powell, D.M., Butler,
    L.I., Goodban, A.E., McCready, R.M. (1965) The fate of aldrin,
    dieldrin and endrin residues during the processing of raw sugar beets.
    USDA Bull. ARS 33-107.
    


    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations
       Aldrin (ICSC)
       Aldrin (PIM 573)
       Aldrin (FAO Meeting Report PL/1965/10/1)
       Aldrin (FAO/PL:CP/15)
       Aldrin  (IARC Summary & Evaluation, Supplement7, 1987)
       Aldrin (IARC Summary & Evaluation, Volume 5, 1974)